Even If It Hurts

By: Marni Mann

Narrated by: Ava Erickson, Shane East

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

When you have a perfect marriage, only an impossible reconnection could make you risk it all. 

Oliver

When I met her, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. We were so young and so passionate. We studied business in the day and each other’s bodies at night. We always knew it would end with the semester, so we loved hard with no regrets.

Lance

When I met her, I couldn’t get her off my mind. We were fresh out of college and ready to take on the world. We fit each other like missing puzzle pieces. And just when I thought my life was perfect, it got better. She became my wife.

Chloe

I met my first love while studying abroad in London. When I moved home, I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love again. Until I met him. The man who became my husband. The one I promised a lifetime to. Then, my first love came back into my life, and I realized that love was bigger than any one man.

From USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann comes Even If It Hurts, an emotionally charged contemporary romance. 

©2020 Marni Mann (P)2020 Marni Mann

Beautiful & Moving Narration Makes This Book!

There are two reasons I purchased this book and they are very simple: Marni Mann writes amazing stories and Shane East is one of the two very accomplished narrators reading her words. Both of those reasons are enough for me to purchase the book, but to write a review, that’s because I have been moved.

Moving story telling is what Ms. Mann does & is beyond prolific at accomplishing. I always know that when I have her story in my ears, I’m in for a ride of love, lust, passion and twists. “Even If It Hurts” is no different, however the plot is not something I’ve ever experienced before, so I’m glad I took this journey with the narrators.

Ava Erickson portrays Chloe Kennedy using her honey-like tones transform into being a young, naive girl exploring love for the first time in London. I was step for step with Chloe as she found someone in Oliver that was sweet, kind, and passionate for his Beautiful Girl. All the feelings of first time with someone caring for you as a young woman with respect and love; I just wanted to stay in that bubble forever. But, as we all experience, we have to make choices, with the hardest ones when you let someone go knowing that is what’s best for them. My heart was breaking for Chloe, but Oliver was a knight-in-shining-armor being strong to say goodbye.

Then we stay with Chloe as she moves into part two of the book, letting go of Oliver but not moving on – just working more hours in that spot of early adulthood where you try to grow your career and making ends meet. In walks her Forever Love. Not going to lie – I fell in love with Lance Hamilton from the first page of his appearance. Ms. Mann writes the character all straight women want in their lives – one who wants to be with them from moment one. As Chloe falls for Lance we see her thoughts and his words reflecting the massive amounts of care he has for her. My heart was squeezing when their passion would light the pages on fire – I was bursting with happiness!

Like the book blurb tells us, she sees Oliver again – so many years after he let her go. This is where I get mad at the characters. Honesty, I was angry; ranting to my husband as I listened to Chloe talk about her feelings for both of these men in her life. How dare she do that to Lance! How dare she hide from her best friend! Molly is the epitome of all the best girl friends we have in our lives; willing to hold the mirror up when we desperately need to move on or wake the heck up. I was peeved at Chloe for most of the third act, through to the last page of Chapter 48.

And Shane East walks in at Chapter 49 and takes all that anger, all that resentment, turns it 180 degrees and shatters my heart into pieces. The performance is so perfectly executed that there is nothing to do but let the tears fall like rain. The words in the final chapter in Shane’s voice are going to stick with me for a very long time; Even If It Hurts.

2 people found this helpful

A well written story of Heartbreak💔

This has been one of the most emotionally heartbreaking books I’ve read this year. Marni writes a story of a young woman who loves more then once. She writes in amazing detail how it affects her emotionally and physically. It’s a journey that was amazing and sad and frustrating. She writes out of the box and you need to think out of the box to understand the journey. I won’t lie, it was hard but well written. I cried when I was done. I have no other words then for you to read and think with a mind of a love that’s branding. Also, the narration was amazing. I felt all the emotions thru their voice.

1 person found this helpful

narration excellent story not so good

i am not comfortable with cheating for no reason - her husband was all any woman could ask for and she cheats on him??? not for me i could not relate.

1 person found this helpful

wow

This book was hard for me too ! I also was a virgin but it was with my husband I would never have the moral sense to commit adulterous act I'm a catholic it's one of the ten commandments so I would not do it so she would sleep with two men . I'm glad that she remains with her husband because she chose her life when she wanted her career or else she could have gone back to England!!! You can't have your cake and eat it too!! sorry !! also I've been married going on 41 years come JULY 2020 so I do know what I'm talking about .

Book hangover!

There are books that you listen to and as soon as it's over, it's forgotten. Then there are books like this one. Marni Mann has a way with words. Her stories are real and touch your soul. I think what I love the most is that she puts me out of my comfort zone and makes me think and feel, what would I do? In this case we meet Chloe who has traveled abroad for college for a semester and fallen for Oliver. Oliver is the best boyfriend and when she comes home, of course, they cannot continue their relationship. Years go by, and she meets Lance, falls in love and marries. Happy as can be, she encounters Oliver again. And now decisions have to be made. I am not a person with triggers, but this one does not sit well with me. At the same time, the realistic and raw feelings that Marni Mann accentuates in her stories makes me think and wonder, what would I do? First loves are so strong but so are second chances at love. Is it possible to love two men? What would I do? I lived this story as Chloe went through her life, and I don't know if her choices would have been mine. But I love that I was able to hear her story, feel her emotions and see her decisions. This book is amazing!

Ava Erickson shines in this narration. A better choice of narrator could not have been made. She has a rawness to her voice that brings out the emotions and gives us every feeling, whether happy or sad. I love her as Chloe. Shane East as Oliver just about killed me. He has a cameo appearance, and it's so emotionally charged, it literally brought tears to my eyes. Amazing performances, amazing book!

Wow!

Even If It Hurts by Marni Mann was full of devastation and emotion. Chloe finds true love twice and she is challenged to do to the right thing for herself and for love. I found myself feeling different emotions toward this story. Negative and Positive. not towards the book or writing as a whole, just the subject matter. But in the end, my heart leaned towards loving the book! These are matters that really do happen in real life. Marriages are challenged. Love is hard. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. Shane East and Ava Erickson were amazing with the narration!!

Amazingly beautiful!

I decided to listen to this book based on another profound review... this story is beautiful and heart wrenching all at the same time.. The MC was lucky enough to find two men that completed her in so many ways. She made choices that many people do not agree with and in the end was faced with the biggest decision of her life. This book is well with the listen!